Shloka 22
अर्जुनेन तपस्तप्त्वा गन्धर्वेभ्यो यदाह्नतम् । तुम्बुरुप्रमुखेभ्यो वै तेनामोहयताहितान्,अर्जुनने तपस्या करके तुम्बुरु आदि गन्धर्वोंसे जो अस्त्र प्राप्त किया था, उसीसे अभिमन्युने अपने शत्रुओंको मोहित कर दिया
arjunena tapastaptvā gandharvebhyo yad āhṛtam | tumburupramukhebhyo vai tenāmohayatāhitān ||
Sañjaya said: The weapon that Arjuna had obtained from the Gandharvas—chief among them Tumburu—after performing austerities, was employed by Abhimanyu to bewilder his foes. Thus, the fruit of disciplined striving and divine instruction became, in the midst of war, a means to check hostile aggression without mere brute force.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power in dharmic warfare is not merely physical; it is grounded in disciplined effort (tapas) and rightly obtained knowledge. The verse highlights ethical continuity: what is earned through restraint and higher instruction can be applied as skillful means to restrain aggression.
Sañjaya explains that Abhimanyu used a weapon originally acquired by Arjuna from the Gandharvas led by Tumburu, gained after Arjuna’s austerities. With it, Abhimanyu confounded and checked his enemies on the battlefield.